France has drawn a hard line between children and their feeds. On Tuesday its parliament gave final approval to a law barring anyone under fifteen from social media, making France the first country in the European Union to pass a blanket ban. It is a flagship project of President Emmanuel Macron's second term, and it does not stop at social apps: the same law kicks mobile phones out of high schools, extending a rule that already covers primary and middle schools.
How it will work
The ban rolls out in two steps. New accounts for under-15s are blocked from 1 September, while existing accounts fall away on 1 January 2027, after a four-month window to sort out age checks. The digital minister, Anne Le Henanff, put it bluntly: "If someone is under 15, the account will be closed". The bill was carried by MP Laure Miller and championed by Macron, who said France "is leading the way in Europe" on protecting children online. Supporters point to classrooms that have already gone phone-free, where teachers report pupils are more attentive and focused.
Not everyone is convinced
Critics on the left call it unworkable. They point to Australia, which brought in a similar under-16 ban, where opponents say two-thirds of young people simply found a way around it. Socialist MPs have said they will refer the law to France's constitutional court, which has a month to rule and could delay the September start. The worry behind the law is real enough: a French health watchdog found that some 90% of children aged 12 to 17 use a smartphone every day, and 58% of them use it for social networks.
France is not alone, either. From Australia to a widening list of countries across Europe, governments are reaching for the same off switch. Brussels is circling too: European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen called this month for limits on children using social media, and the Commission has floated a "progressive and graduated" approach across the bloc.
Whether this one actually works is the test every watching regulator now wants answered.
